Slay the Spire 2 Pumpkin Candle Rework — Tezcatara's Energy Relic

Tezcatara's Pumpkin Candle was always the strongest energy relic for two acts and a ghost in the third. The 0.105 rework rebuilt its limit — and quietly turned it into one of the best Ancient relics in the game.

Old versus new

• Old: gain 1 energy at the start of each turn. Extinguishes at the start of Act 3 — permanently.
• New (0.105): gain 1 energy at the start of each turn. Extinguishes after 5 combats — and can be re-Kindled at any rest site, resetting the 5-combat count.

The change replaces a cliff (dead the moment Act 3 begins, precisely when you need energy most) with a cycle: five fights of +1 energy, then a rest site re-lights it.

The value math

• Baseline: 5 combats × roughly 10 turns = 50+ bonus energy per lighting cycle, from a relic that occupies no card slots and asks nothing of your deck.
• With re-Kindling: an act with 2–3 rest sites sustains the candle across essentially the whole run. The energy tax moves to route planning, not to the relic.
• It stacks with other energy effects — extra energy relics and potions simply multiply the tempo.

Timing and route notes

1. Take it early — the earlier the pickup, the more cycles the candle funds.
2. Route rest sites as candle maintenance: a path that touches a campfire every five fights keeps the flame permanent. The map routing guide already told you to do this; now it pays energy.
3. Spend the powered turns on setup: the extra energy is worth most on the turns you play a scaling Power plus a full hand — not on chump blocks.

The rework changed the relic from "great, then gone" to "great, then go find a match." For energy-hungry engines — Regent star banking, Defect orb setups, any high-cost curve — it is now a run-long companion rather than a two-act rental.

Keep reading:

• 0.105 Patch Overview
• Map Room Types and Route Planning
• Orobas Relic Priority